Mysterious Temple
by Richie the Talekeeper
Summary: A fanfic based on the popular map Lost Temple... pleasae R/R!


At first there was nothing.

Then there was Fury.

            He awoke in the center of the temple, remembering only darkness. He was soaked in cold sweat, and his breathing was harsh and heavy. His warrior senses were immediately alert; trying to scope out the situation and tell him what in the name of the Goddess was going on.

            Then he realized that he was not alone.

            An old druid was standing there, watching the warrior as he reawaked. Not just any druid... a druid that had a body of half man, half horse. He had long green hair, and his right arm was twisted and transfixed into a shape that closely resembled a tree root. He was slightly amused at the hunter's first reaction to life once again, though now he knew that it was time to explain. He cleared his throat, and the warrior immediately leapt to his feet, and, though weaponless, took up a fighting stance. The druid chuckled.

            "Relax, friend." He said, though he could hardly keep down another chuckle at the warrior's obvious readiness to fight. "I mean you no harm."

            The warrior did not relax. "Who are you?" he barked. "Where am I?"

            "Fast on getting answers, aren't we? A keen Hunter..." the druid observed. "As for your questions, I am Califax, Keeper of the Grove for the Night Elf Sentinels. Welcome back to Azeroth."

            The warrior finally relaxed, though his attitude was more or less the same. "Why am I here?" he demanded. "Last thing I remember was... was..."

            "Nothing." The Keeper finished for him. "Though I shall refresh your memory, Hunter. I was there at that fated battle... you were fighting like a beast gone mad... you and I led an assault on an undead Scourge outpost, just outside the outskirts of our own base. Then, just as we thought we had victory, the Scourge's army attacked us from all sides, trapping us. I managed to escape back to our base, but you... you fought with all your might, though you still fell in battle."

            "I see." Said the warrior. "But how did I come to end up back here?"

            "This altar holds a number of mysterious powers." Califax around him to the temple. "One of which is calling back one from the dead. Though it costs an enormous amount of tribute from our own stores, we believed it was for the best. You were our greatest warrior, and we need you now more than ever."

            "Why?" the Hunter demanded, looking menacing again. "If there's one thing I remember it was this: a good number of my own warrior brethren were outcasted from your society. I remember the pain I endured for so many months having to live on my own. I remembered the rage I felt toward my own kind that had betrayed me. And I felt my own soul torturing me as I longed... longed for something..."

            "Do you remember what that something was?" Califax asked him, his long eyebrows rose.

            "Not for the life of me." The Hunter replied. Califax laughed again, and turned, trotting towards the exit.

            "Where are you going? I have more questions!" the Hunter called after him, starting to follow. Califax hesitated for a bit, and walked into a side room. He emerged with two wicked blades, each crescent shaped and with a circular slot in the middle, adorned with the Sentinel's insignia.

"Though I don't feel that you're ready to take your responsibility on the battlefield once again, time is of the essence." Califax said shortly, sliding the two weapons on the Hunter's hands. "You are a warrior, and now you must fight for your people."

"But..." the Hunter began. Califax turned on him, anger seeming to radiate from him.

"For Goddesses' sake, we revived you, took you from death, you MUST do this for us!" he roared. He took a few short breaths to calm himself, then, in a more desperate tone: "_Please."_

The Hunter was silent for a bit, and then he started walking outside of the temple. "By the way, Keeper," he said over his shoulder. "What is my name?"

"Your name?" Califax looked baffled. "Shadowfury."

"Shadowfury..." the Hunter nodded slightly, then began walking again. Califax looked after him and clucked his tongue sympathetically.

"If his past catches up with him..." he muttered to himself, starting to trot after the Hunter.

"Though our enemies will quake in fear, soon as they discover that Shadowfury the Demon Hunter is alive and well!"  
 


End file.
